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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445027">If We Were A Movie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/janna101/pseuds/janna101'>janna101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Annie On My Mind - Nancy Garden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, other characters include family friends and teachers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:00:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/janna101/pseuds/janna101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As amazing as I find the book in its original form, I can't help but wonder what it would look like on screen? So here's my "treatment"/skim script of an "Annie on My Mind" adaptation. All my love to the amazing Nancy Garden.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Kenyon/Liza Winthrop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Characters & Lookbook & Settings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>As you can see below, I've changed a bit of the book for adaptation, the largest being Annie will be of Puerto Rican descent (mainly because when I was trying to look for teenage female actors who could sing, I remembered Julie from Julie and the Phantoms so she was an easy cast). I really wanted the main two girls to be actual teenagers to feel legit unlike a CW show or something.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Trailer!</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZhgeKOVDMc">Click here</a>
</p><p> </p><p>Characters:</p><p>Liza Winthrop - played by Sadie Sink</p><p> </p><p>Annie Kenyon - played by Madison Reyes</p><p>
  
</p><p>Liza's mom - Rachel Brosnahan</p><p>
  
</p><p>Liza's dad - Tony Goldwyn</p><p>
  
</p><p>Chad - Noah Jupe</p><p>
  
</p><p>Annie's grandma - Ivonne Coll</p><p>
  
</p><p>Annie's dad - Horatio Sanz</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ms. Stevenson - Lynn Chen</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ms. Widmer - Piper Perabo</p><p>
  
</p><p>Sally - Skai Jackson</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ms. Poindexter- Joan Cusack</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p>Lookbook</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>----</p><p>Reoccurring Settings</p><p>Liza's dorm</p><p>
  
</p><p>Foster Academy</p><p>
  
</p><p>Liza's apartment</p><p>
  
</p><p>Annie's room</p><p>
  
</p><p>Ms. Stevenson &amp; Ms. Widmer's house</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Scene 1 : Liza's dorm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Opening scene of the movie, Liza is trying to write a letter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Liza sits at her desk in her MIT dorm. In front of her, abandoned architecture homework, a pile of discarded letters and a lined paper with the words, <em>It's raining, Annie.</em></p><p>She stares, glum and perturbed at the empty lines in front of her. Placing a clean paper on top, Liza hesitates a moment to look at the wall above her bed. Liza begins another try at writing.</p><p>The wall she was just admiring is covered in pictures of her family, landscapes of New York City, the Met, Brooklyn Heights, and shots of a girl with dark black hair, although her face isn't clear enough in any of the pictures to identify her. Small mementos are scattered in between, a torn notebook cover with a number in the corner and a pamphlet from a school concert.</p><p>
  <em> Dear Annie, It’s raining, raining the way it did when I met you last November, drops so big they run together in ribbons, remember? It’s true I haven’t written since the second week you were in music camp this summer. There are things I’m going to have to work through, things I’m going to have to work hard at remembering. </em>
</p><p>Out the window of Liza's dorm, the rainy view of Boston's skyline fades into a rainy view of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts steps. A 17-year old Liza runs up the steps huddled under her jacket.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Scene 2 : the Metropolitan Museum of Art</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Liza and Annie meet in the museum.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p>The loud sound of the rain quiets to a murmur as Liza walks to the American Wing. While she's shaking out the last drops from her hair, Liza lifts her ear as the low hum of the museum's air conditioning system is overcome by the sound of singing. As Liza turns into the colonial room, she spots a girl, sitting at the window perch, singing “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian and looking at the painted backdrop with a wistful look in her eyes. She’s wearing a gray cape, hair braided to the side tracing down her shoulder, knees held to her chest.</p>

<p></p><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>
    <em>A brown eyed girl in hand-me-downs</em>
    <br/>
    <em>Whose name I never could pronounce</em>
    <br/>
    <em>Said, "Pity, please, the ones who serve</em>
    <br/>
    <em>They only get what they deserve"</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>
    <em>And the rich relationed hometown queen</em>
    <br/>
    <em>Marries into what she needs</em>
    <br/>
    <em>With a guarantee of company</em>
    <br/>
    <em>And haven for the elderly</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The girl trails off, concentrating intensely on the faux landscape in contemplative silence. Liza remains enraptured in the silence, breaking it before she could process her words.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Don't stop, please."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The girl jumps, whipping her head toward the voice. Now making eye contact, Liza remembers her manners, showing slight embarrassment in a light blush and pursed lips.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Oh, you startled me! I didn't know anyone else was here," the girl says.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"It was beautiful, the singing," Liza says. The girl gave a wide smile at the compliment. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Thank you," says the girl. "I was just pretending, wondering how a colonial girl would have felt here. Moved away from her friend, her dog--called something terribly original like Spot."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The two share an awkward laugh, followed by a moment of silence. The girl quietly slips off the perch and heads to the door.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Do you come here often?" Liza blurts, blushing harder at her outburst. She hopes her cringe falls off her face before the girl can catch it as she turns back to her.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Unperturbed, the girl replies, "No, I usually practice at school, only that gets dull sometimes."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Practicing...singing?" asks Liza.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The girl nods. "I'm in this special group at school, we perform at recitals and assemblies." The quiet fills the space in between them for two long seconds. "Do you come here often."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Yeah, mostly for architecture. I actually should be heading to the Temple of Dendur before it closes..."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Annie jumps in, "Mind if I come?"</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"No," Liza answers quickly. "Okay--I mean, no, I don't mind."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>---</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The two walk side by side through the quiet halls of the medieval section. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Liza clears her throat. "What's your name?" she asks, hoping her nerves don't come through.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Annie, Annie Kenyon...what--what's that?" </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Eliza Winthrop--oh," Liza answers the interrupted question out of habit, before halting quickly to avoid hitting Annie's arm held in front her body. She follows the arm to her finger, judging the pointing is referring to the choir screen to her right. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Annie steps in front of Liza, leaning closer to the choir screen she indicated. Liza makes a minuscule step back, not wanting to draw attention to her growing nervousness at brushing contact with this unfamiliar girl. She starts reading the small placard to distract herself.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"It's from a Spanish cathedral, built 1668--" started Liza.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"It's beautiful," Annie says softly.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>A few patrons squeeze behind the two standing in the middle of the thin hallway. Liza steps farther toward the wall to give them more room and keeping her eyes averted out of embarrassment at the strangers' presence. Annie remains enchanted at the screen.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Once the strangers are out of sight, Annie turns to face Liza.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"I'm sorry if I embarrass you," Annie apologizes.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"That's okay," Liza responds quickly, trying to translate her sincerity.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Annie is already distracted again, exclaiming, "Oh look! They're wonderful."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>She begins to walk quickly to the next hallway, moving from knight figure to knight figure, assuming their stances and jabbing an imaginary lance.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"En garde! Stand and fight or I'll run you through!"</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>Liza laughs, assuming a similar stance but with less confidence. "You will not live to tell the tale of this day’s battle!" she shouts.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>The two laugh, pretending to strike some small jabs between the figures. They continue as they run to the next room, but stop abruptly as a security guard eyes them and slowly moves through the doorway out of view. Once he walks out, the two let go of a collective breath and giggle.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"I don’t know when I’ve had so much fun," Annie says.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>"Neither do I," Liza responds.</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>They share a long look. Liza snaps back to reality, blushing and averting her eyes.</p>
  <p>"Come on-temple’s this way," Liza jerks her head to the right, spinning on her foot quickly to start walking.</p>
  <p>---</p>
  <p>
    
  </p>
  <p>The two enter the Temple of Dendur, Annie letting her eyes slowly track across the wide room, but Liza concentrating almost immediately on the tall structure. Liza begins sketching the architecture diligently in her notebook, but sneaks small glances at Annie, who is walking the edge of the pool toe-to-heel.</p>
  <p>After 5 minutes of silence between the two, Annie bring her chin up to look at Liza. "Where do you live?" she asks, quietly to keep her voice from echoing in the wide space but steady with her natural confidence.</p>
  <p>"Brooklyn Heights," answers Liza, sparing a quick glance up from her moving pencil. "You?"</p>
  <p>"Way uptown. What kind of school has architecture assignments?"</p>
  <p>"Foster Academy." Annie's face doesn't movie in recognition, so Liza continues. "It’s small, private. The architecture is part of the 'personalized college preparatory course'.” Liza makes quotation marks with her pointer and middle finger of her right hand.</p>
  <p>Annie has reached Liza's side by the end of her explanation, and looks over her shoulder at the notebook.</p>
  <p>"Well, you're really good." Annie's silent for a moment as they both contemplate Liza's sketch. "I should go, but...here."</p>
  <p>Annie grabs Liza’s pencil from her hand, flips the cover up and scribbles an address and phone number in the corner.</p>
  <p>"Mine, if you ever wanna...sing and sketch again."</p>
  <p>Liza takes a few moments longer to turn her chin up to meet Annie's gaze, using the time to concentrate on calming the growing color on her face. She feels warm despite the cool atmosphere. When she meets Annie's eyes, they share a small smile.</p>
  <p>"I'd like that."</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p> </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Scene 3 : Foster Academy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An usually dramatic day for Liza at Foster Academy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Liza walks down the Foster Academy hallway, dodging students in scruffed-up uniforms as she rifles in her bag. She pulls out her architecture notebook, going to flip it open before catching Annie’s writing in the corner. Liza halts her quick pace, smiling to herself in a distracted moment. She’s pulled out of it by a small yelp. Startled, she looks to her right, at the entrance to the girls bathroom. She glances up and down the thinning crowd of the hallway before pushing the door in hesitantly. The first thing she spots is Sally piercing a girl’s ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sally!" yelps Liza in surprise and shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sally isn't distracted by the interruption, eyes still trained on the lobe between her fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Madame President," she answers right as removes the needle from the lobe, pulling a small squeak from the victim. "Alright, you're good. Disinfect twice a day, </span>
  <span>don’t take out for six months." Once the girl nods in agreement as she wipes a small tear off her cheek, she turns her body to Liza. "Oh, did you do the reading?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <span>Sally," Liza says still in shock but now exasperation creeping into her voice, "how many have you done?"</span>
</p><p>"<span>Since I opened for business or this morning? Five. Oh, do you think you could ask Chad to option the idea to the guys in his class? Say it's very... George Michael."</span></p><p>
  <span>Liza wraps her hand around Sally's bicep, dragging her out the bathroom to a chorus of annoyance from the girls still in line for piercing. Once they make it past the bathroom door, Liza turns toward Sally and drops her hand.</span>
</p><p>"Y<span>ou’re done today, you're not doing anymore any day, and you’re praying I don’t get any flack from...Ms. Poindexter!"</span></p><p>
  <span>Ms. Poindexter, an </span>
  <span>authoritarian presence emanating from her stiff posture, has made it to stop to the left of two girls outside the bathroom. She stares the two down over the rim of her skinny glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sally</span>
  <span>, I'll see you in the office." Turning to Liza, she adds, "I'd like to see as well, Ms. Winthrop."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liza leans against the back of the wooden bench against the wall, opposite the school secretary's desk. She's let her eyes wander all the interesting things in the reception area, a limited selection: a banner for Foster Academy featuring an absurdly ecstatic mother and father looking to the child in a pristine uniform between them; a collection of animal bobble-heads on the secretary's desk; framed awards and letters of recognition going back to the 30s hanging on the far wall. She is now switching her gaze from Ms. Poindexter's door and her shoes' laces in nervous anticipation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She jerks her head up at the sound of the office door opening, meeting Sally's eyes. She looks red-eyed and mouths a timid "I'm sorry," before quickly exiting to the hallway leading back to the upper school. Liza can only give back a small smile before pushing up from her seat and walking into Ms. Poindexter's office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room is stuffy, and stuck in the 60s. Liza settles down on the fraying chair opposite Ms. Poindexter, trying to keep the heavy gaze from her headmaster across the thick desk without shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms. Poindexter lets the air settle between the two before starting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <span>The reporting rule, Eliza--have you forgotten the reporting rule?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Liza answers quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms. Poindexter continues speaking through Liza's answer as if her answer was insignificant to her speech either way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can you tell me, since you should know the rule so well in your role as class president, and since you should know that the spirit behind all Foster’s rules encompasses the idea of not doing harm to others, why you did not ask Sally Jarrell to report herself when you saw what she was planning to do? Is this your idea of a follow-through on your campaign speech?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't know about it until this morning m'am. And..." Liza weighs whether the next sentence is necessary but decides to plow through with the only bit of confidence she has left. "</span>
  <span>Everyone’s against the reporting rule, it doesn’t work."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms. Poindexter sits stiffer, if possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not everyone," she is snippy in reply. "And popular or not, that rule is the backbone of our school’s honor system, steeped in tradition. I would like you to think Eliza, about the extent of your responsibility to Foster, what you represent at this school."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Liza sits in the heavy silence that follows, letting the admonition seep in, before they both turn their heads to sound of the opening office door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms. Stevenson, Liza's art teacher and one of her favorites, pokes her head through, face neutral as she looks at Ms. Poindexter before softening to a smile once she spots Liza.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi, Liza. Sorry to interrupt you two, should I wait a few minutes?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms. Poindexter is already waving her in, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, no, myself and Eliza are finished here. Eliza, proceed to class, and continue contemplation on our discussion."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eliza nods once, pushing up quickly from the chair and sharing a small smile with Ms. Stevenson before slipping out the doorway to start her quick pace to math. The words continue pounding in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>What you represent.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Scene 4 : Liza's Apartment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An evening with the Winthrops.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>"A suspension? You’re an intelligent person, Eliza, we raised you to have better judgement."</p><p>The Winthrops sit around the dinner table, eating a dinner of chicken and potatoes at varying paces. Liza hunches forward over her plate, hiding most of her face from her family's view. Chad sits to her left, chewing with a curiosity at the developing scene.</p><p>Liza's mother jumps in as soon as her husband finishes his sentence. "She's also an adolescent," she interjects with a sympathetic tone. "And the school is coming down a lot harder on her than Sally."</p><p>Her father isn't swayed by her words. </p><p>"Well I wouldn’t expect that little twit Sally Jenkins to know how to think, but Eliza—"</p><p>Liza, eyes wet but tears yet to fall, abruptly pushes her chair from the table to interrupt her father's upcoming reprimand. She picks her half-finished plate from the table before turning into the connecting kitchen.</p><p>Behind the dividing wall, Liza takes what feels like her first deep breathe since she sat down to dinner. It chokes off at the end, but she's able to catch the single tear before it makes it down her cheek. Her parents' low murmurs float into the kitchen, her father's voice stern and mother's soothing. She begins scraping off her plate into the bin.</p><p>Chad lumbers into the doorway, leaning against the edge with a swagger Liza is sure he only could have picked up this school year. This isn't the posture of the same kid who couldn't stop fidgeting for his 8th grade school pictures.</p><p>"Pretty cool Lize," Chad says with a slow nod. "Get me to the front of the line?"</p><p>"I'll do your nose myself if you don’t shut up," Liza snaps, immediately regretting being so harsh. Chad seems unbothered, though, as he sighs and spins around to walk to his room. </p><p>"I'd give anything to be suspended," he says as a goodbye.</p><p>----</p><p>Liza lies on her bed, staring contemplatively at her blank ceiling. She rolls her head to the side, her eye catching her book bag resting on the desk chair. A thought comes to her. She pushes herself up to turn toward the bag, zipping the top open and grabbing a notebook.</p><p>Liza peeks her head out her door, checking left and right before tiptoeing to the phone resting on the small table at the end of the hallway. The notebook rests in her left hand as she puts in the number written in the corner of the cover. Twirling the cord in her fingers, she listens. Two low tones, a click.</p><p>"Hello?" Annie's voice floats through a thin static. </p><p>Liza smiles at the sound. </p><p>"Annie, it's Liza."</p><p>"Liza--oh, Eliza, yes I recognized your voice, hi!"</p><p>Liza cringes at the memory of introducing herself so formally.</p><p>"Yeah, I usually go by Liza, don't know why I used Eliza."</p><p>Annie's laugh is light and warm. </p><p>"Well then, hi Liza," she enunciates the last word.</p><p>The two share an awkward pause before Liza remembers she's the one who called, meaning she should have a reason to call, and she should share it with the person she called.</p><p>"Um-I was wondering if you’d like to go to the Cloisters with me Saturday. I thought maybe because you liked the Metropolitan, but well maybe you wouldn’t…"</p><p>"Sure I would," Annie is quick to reply.</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," followed by another small laugh from Annie. Liza doesn't know what she's doing to provoke them, but she hopes she keeps doing it.</p><p>"Just promise me you won’t rearrange the statues or pose in front of a triptych or anything when someone’s looking," Liza says with a joking tilt to her stern tone.</p><p>She gets another laugh trickling out the phone, bringing a bigger smile to her face. </p><p>She can't wait for Saturday.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Scene 5 : Fort Tyron Park/Cloisters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Liza and Annie's day at the Cloisters.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Liza makes her way up the path to the Cloisters entrance, smoothing her sweaty hands on her pea coat. She spots Annie, leaning against the brown granite in a long brown skirt and red sweater, a small backpack barely hanging onto her left shoulder. Liza stops a moment before Annie can notice her, watching the girl in her comfortable lonesomeness, before taking the last few steps into Annie's view with a timid hello. Annie jumps out of her trance, turning to Liza and smiling at the girl.</p><p>"Hi!" Annie's almost breathless, even though she's not the one who just finished walking.</p><p>Before Liza can speak, she’s interrupted by a large school group, having to step aside in a haste to make space for the kids to reach the entrance. A small kid in a puffy green jacket takes the cheap camera looped around his neck and points it to Annie. Annie quickly and gracefully drops to a curtsy, seeming medieval in her stance. He snaps the picture in a giggle and runs off, and Annie stands up to look at Liza. </p><p>"The public, so ungrateful," Annie gives herself an exaggerated accent and fans her face as if exhausted from the effort. "I do wish Father wouldn’t insist I pose for their silly portraits."</p><p>Liza realizes she has to be quick to pick up every scenario Annie presents (and she seems to present them often), so she gives a face of concern before bowing lowly.</p><p>"Madame, shall I entertain you with a walk in the garden til my duties force me to return?"</p><p>Liza offers her propped arm to Annie, who rests her arm lightly on top. The two share a low giggle as they enter the Cloisters.</p><p>---</p><p>Now in the Cloisters' herb garden, the two walk close but no longer touching.</p><p>"Three days suspension, for ear piercing?" Annie voice is high in confusion and surprise. "It seems ridiculous. In my school, kids get busted all the time for assault and possession and things like that. I can’t decide if it’s wonderful to not have anything more serious to worry about, or terrible."</p><p>Annie leans down to inhale a flower.</p><p>"If you ever want yours done, I’ll do them," Annie adds with her nose still in the flower. "Free."</p><p>Liza blushes slightly at the offer, looking away from Annie even though the girl is still preoccupied with the flower. Annie plucks a sprig, turning to Liza. She rolls her shoulders back, signaling a return to the medieval characters. </p><p>"Good sir, surely a knight so gallant would never fall in battle."</p><p>Liza nerves are still buzzing, and Annie must notice because she gives her a small smile. Liza reads it as reassurance. </p><p>"Madame," Liza replies in her medieval voice, "when I carry your favor, I carry your memory."</p><p>Annie extends the sprig to Liza. Fingers brush in the exchange. As it seems they must every time they meet, the two share a moment’s silence.</p><p>"You must think I’m an awful child," Annie breaks the silence. "I forget most people don’t like pretending that way after they’re much older than seven."</p><p>Liza doesn't want Annie to feel bad or embarrassed. So she puts on her most comforting expression.</p><p>"Did I look as if I didn’t like it?"</p><p>Annie doesn't answer this, leaving them in another beat of silent staring.</p><p>Barely audible, Annie breathes out, "I don’t know if I believe any of this is happening or not."</p><p>Liza doesn't react, doesn’t know how to, can’t. She doesn't even feel sure she could have heard correctly.</p><p>The bubble around them breaks with the sound of a group approaching. Annie quickly switches to her usual projecting voice.</p><p>"Come on, I brought lunch!"</p><p>---</p><p>Annie and Liza share a faded picnic blanket, picking at their sandwiches and drinking from thermos cups.</p><p>"My first choice is Berkeley," Annie shares, biting into her egg salad sandwich.</p><p>"In California?" Liza asks after swallowing her sip of coffee.</p><p>Annie nods. "I was born there. I love California. New York’s...unfriendly," she finishes with her gaze wondering off to the side before snapping back to Liza across from her. "Except for you. What about you?"</p><p>"MIT. My dad always tells me about his time there, and I find architecture engineering interesting."</p><p>"You’re also really good at drawing," Annie says with a smile. She pauses a moment, dropping her chin down and picking at her bread. "Weird."</p><p>"What is?" Liza slowly moves her sandwich toward her lap in nervousness.</p><p>"I almost said something--something crazy, that’s all," Annie adds on quickly, standing to her feet and brushing off her skirt in what feels like half a second to Liza. "It’s getting late, are you walking to the subway or taking the bus?"</p><p>Liza is slow to respond, reeling from the quick change in demeanor.  </p><p>"Bus," Liza answers as she gets to her feet, brushing off the crumbs sticking to her coat.</p><p>Annie smiles her same bright smile, grabbing the blanket and thermos to stuff into her backpack. She turns to the path, starting to walk as Liza follows to catch up.</p><p>Liza is always in a state of catching up.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My last update for valentines day! Sending love &lt;3</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Scene 6 : Liza's apartment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Liza learns she's more out of the loop than she thought.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i'm going slower on updating, typical quick burnout from starting something new.<br/>check out my trailer if you haven't! <br/>https://youtu.be/cZhgeKOVDMc</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Liza stands at the phone in her silent apartment, twisting the cord between her two fingers. After three longs tones, a click and she hears a, “Hello?”</p><p>“Hi, Ms. Baxter,” Liza goes unnaturally high at the voice of the old secretary. Baxter is known for her subtle degrading comments and high standards of <em>morality</em>. “This is Liza Winthrop. I was hoping to talk to Ms. Stevenson, to ask about my homework.”</p><p>“Hmm, yes Eliza, I heard you were sent home for a few days,” says Ms. Baxter, following it with a heavy sigh. Eliza couldn’t discern if it was disappointment or annoyance. Likely both. “Unfortunately, Ms. Stevenson is home sick today.”</p><p>“Oh,” Liza is unsure what to do for a moment before asking, “could I have her home phone number, then?”</p><p>Another heavy sigh, Ms. Baxter starts, “Six-two-five-eight-seven-one-four.”</p><p>Eliza mumbles a quick thank you, barely catches the “God bless you dear,” before hitting the switchhook to put in Ms. Stevenson’s number.</p><p>She gets four tones, and then a click, to hear a voice not Ms. Stevenson's say, “Hello?”</p><p>“Um, this is Liza Winthrop, one of Ms. Stevenson’s students. I’m sorry to call when she’s unwell, but the thing is…”</p><p>“Oh, Liza,” the voice answers with recognition. “This is Ms. Widmer. Isabelle—Ms. Stevenson—has a terrible cold and I was just leaving for Foster. Is there anything I can do?”</p><p>Liza was stunned for a second. She remembered hearing last year that Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer were roommates, but thought it was likely a rumor. She didn’t know any other single women her mother’s age who lived with roommates.</p><p>“Um, well, I was wondering if there was any homework I needed to keep up with in art—and English, I suppose.”</p><p>Ms. Widmer excuses herself for a few minutes, leaving Liza waiting nervously at the phone. She could hear her own breathing, it felt too loud.</p><p>“Yes,” Ms. Widmer starts again, “you’ll have your art project to finish over the Thanksgiving break. I’ll send Chad home with it, as well as what we’ll be completing in English this week.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Widmer,” Liza says, getting a, “Have a good day, Liza,” before clicking the phone off.</p><p>Now, how to spend a suspended day.</p><p>--</p><p>Liza spends most of her day reading or drawing in her notebook, before becoming too bored of the apartment walls and heading out for a short walk. She ambles through city streets, no destination in mind. It’s only when she checks her watch for the time and she’s it’s nearing 3 o’clock that she recognizes the intersection she’s waiting at is only three blocks from Foster. She figures she might as well meet Chad outside as he’s leaving, in case he forgot one of her assignments and she needs him to go back in for it. </p><p>When she reaches Foster, she waits on the curb across from the gated entrance, partially obscuring herself behind a tree as students start to trickle out. Unfortunately, the trunk doesn’t do well enough as a partition, because she makes eye contact with Sally right as she exits. Eyes widening at seeing Liza, Sally whips her head quickly both ways before she darts across the street to Liza’s hiding spot. Liza tries to hide her embarrassment at being caught behind a friendly smile.</p><p>“Hi Sally.”</p><p>“Liza,” Sally starts rambling, “I’m awful sorry. I should have been suspended, not you. I shouldn’t have gotten you into this mess. I thought the piercing stuff would be fine, honest! But Ms. Poindexter told me Jennifer G. has an ear infection now, the poor girl, but I’m gonna make it up, I’m gonna pay for any medication with the earnings I made and give the rest to the fundraising fund. Me being a chair as well, it’ll all be a, uh, moral remedy for my inflictions on others.”</p><p>Liza feels an overload at the information.</p><p>“A fundraising fund?” Liza hadn’t even heard Ms. Poindexter had made one, let alone that Sally was a chair, although the last sentence sounded like it was pulled right from Ms. Poindexter’s, or even Ms. Baxter’s, mouth.</p><p>“Yeah,” Sally said, not picking up on Liza’s confusion. “I’m giving the update at the next student council meeting, you’ll be back by then, right, the day we come back from break? Oh, Walt’s waiting for me, I have to go, but again, I hope you forgive me, Liza, don’t think bad of me, please?”</p><p>Sally doesn’t wait for an answer to her question, bolting off before Liza can get a word in. Liza is still standing in the same position, mouth hanging slightly open still in confusion, as Chad approaches.</p><p>“Aw, thanks for picking me up, sis. We going to the swings too?”</p><p>Liza composes herself at the mocking comment, scoffing at her brother as she rips her folder of assignments from his hands.</p>
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